


That Distant Shore

by Slothbeans



Series: Pepperony Week 2019 [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Hotels, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pepperony Week, Pepperony Week 2019, Sharing a Bed, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 06:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20110951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slothbeans/pseuds/Slothbeans
Summary: Pepper and Tony are stranded at the Fyre Festival and have no choice but to share a bed. A bit of drinking occurs. Tony has a nightmare.





	That Distant Shore

"We are not sharing a bed, Tony."

"I'm serious, Pepper. There are no more rooms. We were lucky that we even got a King bed."

The man can't help but smirk at the position he's currently in. All of the stars must have aligned for him today. 

"You're telling me that in this entire hotel there are no more available rooms?"

Tony can see the craziness in the situation - the implications as she holds her hips and raised eyebrow at him. With his money, there are always so many more options for the boss and assistant. But they've never been stranded this way before - let alone stranded on a vacation where their goal was to get to know each other a little bit better.

"Pepper. The entire island is booked. There are people stranded in the airport for fuck's sake. You're lucky we even got this. You are being very selfish right now."

He says it jokingly, but even then, she doesn't appreciate the tone of his voice. She knows the situation is all too real for many of the other unlucky people. There are other people truly stranded on this island, not just stuck in a crappy hotel room with their boss.

Pepper had insisted that this entire vacation was a waste of money and time from the start. She thought the whole festival was a scam - she was suspicious from the start - but Tony had gone against her in some over the top display of stupid alpha dominance. The display hadn't impressed her, not a single bit. It had pissed her off more than anything, especially when Tony insisted that Pepper should be his plus one.

_ The fact that the Fyre Festival had been a giant scam the whole time just makes her even more right. _

And now she's stranded on this tiny island for four more days with her stubborn boss. And only a king bed to share. With Tony Fucking Stark.

She moves to the edge of the bed and sits as she thinks things through. She needs to calm down before she responds to Tony. She's too on edge right now to deal with all of of this crap.

The broken mattress dips from her weight, which she tries to not take as an insult of her current weight. It's made of cheap plastics, covered in scratchy blankets that she can already hear Tony complaining about. The pillow doesn't look much better, either. But, at least the room is clean. She doesn't see any traces of roaches or mice or even bed bugs. It's much better than the broken tents at the festival.

Pepper reminds herself to be thankful that Tony brought some cash - that he was at least prepared for the possibility of failure. She's appreciative that he's kept her protected through this weekend among busy crowds and rioting victims. At least she's safe and not stranded on the muddied beach with angry civilians. At least she has Tony to depend on - even if it was his fault they're here.

"Did I mention when we get home, I'll be suing them out of their asses?"

"Yes. Many times, Tony. It doesn't help tonight, though."

Tony pushes his suitcase to the side, doing his best to make the small room even less cramped. He makes his way over to the bed and is just about to join her, but some hesitation works through him before he can follow through with the action. He doesn't want to disturb the woman any further - and he would never admit it, but she can be a bit scary at times.

"I can sleep on the floor. You take the bed. This is my fault, after all."

The tone of the room shifts at Tony's semi-apology. It's still small and cramped in there, but there's less anger filling the space. Tony can take a few solid breaths in the absence of words.

"No. You're right. This is a king bed. We're grown adults. We should be able to share it."

"Are you sure? Because all I need is a pillow and maybe a blanket. You've woke me up enough on the floor enough times to prove that."

Pepper laugh-sighs at his response. It's true. She's found Tony sleeping in every position imaginable after his drunken rages. There are no doubts that he could do it.

But, there's also something bittersweet about the thoughts she's having. She likes the new Tony Stark - the man dedicated to improving the world and fixing his own toxic habits. The superhero that defends her time and time again. She feels much closer to this Tony Stark than she ever did the old one.

That's why she feels so conflicted over the entire situation. She isn't even mad at Tony - not that much. She's more upset at herself for letting her feelings blind her, for coming to this stupid get-away when she knows she has a million better things to do at home. She's angry she gets her hopes up for nothing once again.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor. That's silly. We can share."

Pepper scoots over, creating some room for the man. He quickly joins her and folds his hands neatly on his lap. There's clearly something else coming.

"But there will be some ground rules."

_ There it is. _

"I will do whatever it takes to make this more comfortable. For both of us."

"No snoring."

"That's not fair. You know I can't control that."

She shakes her head. It's true. Even though he snores like a monster, she's learned over time that he has no control over the nasty habit.

"Fine. No touching then: hands, shoulders, feet... other bits. It's a big enough bed that we shouldn't have to touch."

"Other bits? What could you ever mean by that?"

She hits him playfully on the shoulder as she laughs. "You know what I mean, Tony. No funny business. I know your reputation. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Fine, fine. I swear on my suits that I will keep my hands to myself. Anything else?"

Pepper thinks to herself. She pulls all the previous drunk wake-up sessions from the back of her mind - from a place she'd locked away for her own sanity - and finds the one thread in common among them. His bare white ass and hairy legs sprawled across the furniture in terrifying positions.. Tony Stark  _ always _ sleeps in the nude.

"Your wearing underwear. I don't need to wake up and see something I'll regret."

"Fine. That's fair. I don't think you deserve to see me that way anyway - not until I know you'll truly appreciate it."

The agreement is set. Things should be okay tonight for the two of them. They can do this.

With the details settled out, Tony moves towards the dresser and pulls off his t-shirt for the night, already sweaty and dirty from the sweltering heat of the island. He's tired of the burning of the sun, and sand that sneaks into his clothes every time he walks outside is driving him nuts. If only the Fyre Festival hadn't lost his luggage; then he'd at least have something else to change into.

But, at least for the night, he can strip away the thin wet fabric and get some rest. He'll feel much better when he's free from the day's chaos.

"Wait. Before we settle down for the night, I think I need some gin."

-

Pepper gets a few shots of gin down, which does help settle her nerves a little bit. She no longer has to worry about her feelings for her boss or the conflicts that haunt her mind - things suddenly seem a lot more simple around him. She thinks he's handsome and he's been flirting with her long enough that he there's no way he doesn't like her too.

Blush dances on her cheeks as she rolls on the bed, her hair flopping messily around her face. She's contributing to a conversation - only barely in reality - about how pregnant women swimming are really human submarines. Tony is entertained by how easily she's becoming distracted since he's never seen her in a drunken state before.

Tony is the complete opposite of Pepper. He hasn't had a single thing to drink, since he's still trying to recover from an overindulgence developed in his mid-twenties to the substance, and is fully committed to staying sober. He just can't trust himself to only have one drink, therefore, he has none. And he prefers it this way, though it's only a bonus that he gets to experience Pepper's antics.

"I just don't understand, Tony. Why do we drive in parkways, but we park in driveways?"

"No idea, Pep. That is quite a mystery. Maybe its time to settle down for the night?"

She squeezes the pillow underneath her as she thinks. "Hmm... Maybe?"

A bottle of water is tossed her way, and she forces down a few sips of the plain, boring liquid. Tony sends her a stern look from across the room - a warning that she better drink it all before they go to sleep. It's cute that her boss seems to care for her so much and she can't help but smile at his concern. She's never seen this sign of him, but it's the side she wants to get to know more.

"Tastes bad," she only murmurs as she forces more down. 

Tony places a trashcan next to the bed as he gets ready to sleep. "I forgot how much of a lightweight you were, Pep."

He also forgot how attractive she truly is. He has to admit her bra and skirt combo is really doing it for him right now. The blush from the alcohol is dancing across her cheek, her freckles and hair dancing messily around her face. 

Even then - as he's blessed with her ever beautiful blushing figure - he knows that he needs to be the gentleman. He hasn't had anything to drink - not a single sip tonight, but Pepper is well beyond the calm headed figure that he usually knows. And it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her in this state.

"We should try to get some rest, Pepper. If we're lucky, we can catch a flight home tomorrow and forget this ever happened."

"Maybe I don't wanna forget."

Tony pauses. He isn't sure what she means by that. This weekend has been horrible: one disaster after another. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, Pepper was right about this entire trip. She's always right. There's just something about that woman that has a perfect sense for business. And he should trust her more. He owes her quite the apology when she isn't wasted.

"Alright. We won't forget, I promise. Just move yourself and make some room for me."

Tony shuts off the light and edges himself onto the king bed. She barely moves over for him, only barely allowing the man a thin strip of space in the overall gigantic bed. He's only barely surprised when Pepper curls herself against his chest, resting her head gently against the crook of his neck. She's practically purring against his size - no doubt a side effect of all the gin inside of her.

The man debates for a few moments. The rule was no touching, but she's clearly initiated this cuddle session. He's still got a thin layer of dirty clothes between them, so this must be fine. If he had only worn his underwear to bed like proposed, this would clearly be too much for Pepper, but with clothes, it should be okay. He wraps his arm around her form protectively and lets her settle in closer.

"Let me know if you need tonight, Pepper. Anything."

Pepper nuzzles him affectionately before closing her eyes. His scent is perfect. They're halfway across the globe - lost in the disaster of a broken festival - but at least she knows she's safe. She's protected with Tony Stark so close.

The words pass Pepper's lips without her own realization, so quiet that Tony almost misses them.

"Don't wanna forget tonight..."

-

Tony wakes in a panic, his body clenching as he throws himself into sitting position.

This isn't his home. It's much too hot and the blankets are a scratchy cotton that make his skin itch. The walls are blackened with mold, the wallpaper slowly peeling down with the grasp of time. There's a musty smell that he can't escape that pulls him back through all of his trauma.

His clothes are suffocating him, the smell of sweat and dirt filling his nose. It's too familiar, too painful for him to cope with. He can remember the way his torn garments choke him during his stay in the war-torn country - the dirtiness of the soil around him drowning him as he sleeps. 

He can feel the warmth of his arc reactor, now stronger than ever, burning as if its made from the metals of a molten sun. The skin around it feels fresh and raw, the bacteria eating away at his reddened flesh. The wounds are new and tearing through his mind, even though he's actually had the device settled in his chest for just over a year now.

He's rocking under the thin covers, his body thrusting forward and back over and over as he tries to grasp the room around him - dizziness filling him as his lungs fight to get the air they so desperately need. He's losing his grip on reality in the unfamiliar setting - something he definitely was trying to escape from this weekend.

And then there's a soft hand on his shoulder that's pulling him back into reality - the grip sturdy, yet gentle and understanding. The scent of Pepper starts settling into his nose, overtaking the smell of the torture that's overwhelming him. He can barely scent the blood and tears anymore as he focuses on her instead - a bit of lemon, but mostly just the natural scent that is his assistant.

He's asked to name things around the room and blindly follows her instructions: five things he sees, four things he can touch, three sounds in his ears, two things he can smell, and finally, one thing he can taste. Naming things isn't helping that much, but he lists them anyway to listen to Pepper's voice as she instructs him. Her voice is what calms him more than anything.

Pepper is safety and love. She's the mansion in Malibu where they spend so much time together. She's the woman that keeps him on track in life - not only through his work and studies, but she works on keeping him going in the right direction with his ongoing addiction. Pepper's the one that picks up the pieces and cleans him up on a particularly bad day. Pepper is home.

And the thing that pulls him back most is her hand on his shoulder: compassionate and tender. There's an understanding through the touch that he so desperately needs right now.

"I thought the rule was no touching," he snarks out, his defenses pulling back up now that he's in a less panicked state. 

Pepper rolls her eyes as she pulls her hand back. Yet, she can sense his anxiety hidden in his voice. She can feel the front he's putting up in her presence. 

"That rule was for you. Not me. I know how to behave myself. Do you really think I could trust you to behave yourself tonight? With your rep?"

"I'll behave myself. I promise. I just need to take some layers off. Is that okay?"

With a nod of permission, Tony pulls his undershirt over the back of his head. He feels eons better with his chest free, the warm summer air dancing across his chest hair. There's a deep exhale as he forces out the stress he's been holding for the last ten minutes. He's free now, lighter overall, even if his pants are still on.

Pepper's watching from the other side of the bed, nearly biting her lip as she admires the beauty of the man beside her - arc reactor and all. She's appreciative that she's spending time alone with him, away from the worries of Miami and Ironman suits. Away from the lab he spends too much time in. Apart from her touch.

They aren't dating. They won't for a while still, but maybe tonight, Pepper can spend some time curled up against him, warding off the nightmares the man experiences nightly.

"Alright. Maybe a little bit of touching is okay."

**Author's Note:**

> You can also follow me on tumblr too. My username is [@slothbeans](https://slothbeans.tumblr.com/)
> 
> If you like the story, please leave a review. It really helps me stay motivated, especially since this is my passion project and a major undertaking for me. <3


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